Andromeda: An Affirming Flame
"An Affirming Flame" is the second episode of season one of the science fiction television series Andromeda. The episode was directed by Brenton Spencer and written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe. It first aired in the United States on the Sci-Fi Channel on Monday, October 9th, 2000. It was first broadcast in Canada on Saturday, October 14th, 2000 on the Global Television Network. In this episode, the crew of the Eureka Maru find themselves trapped between the resourceful Dylan Hunt and the treacherous Gerentex and must now choose sides. Harper tries to hack into the Andromeda Ascendant 's mainframe with unexpected results while Trance has a harrowing brush with death. Compounding the intensity of the situation is the presence of the nearby black hole, which threatens to consume both ships unless drastic measures are taken. Synopsis ]] Gerentex orders Tyr Anasazi to track down Dylan Hunt and kill him. Tyr stalks Dylan throughout the bowels of the ship, firing shot after shot at him with his laser rifle, but the agile captain manages to evade each shot and escapes down an access tube. Tyr returns to the group. The only thing he has to show for his efforts are the heads of several service robots that he managed to destroy. Trance Gemini accompanies another of Gerentex's mercenaries, a cyborg woman named Varastaya down a corridor. Trance's bubbly personality distracts Varastaya and she doesn't see Captain Hunt until it is too late. Hunt gets the drop on Varastaya and forces her to lay down her weapon. She fights back however and the two trade a series of kicks and punches. Varastaya's systems begin to take a beating and Dylan is able to temporarily disable her. Muttering to himself, "I hate cyborgs...", he then begins pursuing Trance. Trance is lithe and quick however and she gets away. Dylan puts Varastaya into a stasis tube. Moments later, Beka Valentine and a mercenary named Glasten come across Dylan in a weapons locker. Dylan gestures towards a stack of explosives he has placed on the floor and tells Beka, "I would duck", before making his way towards another part of the ship. Beka pulls Brexos out of the way just in time as the explosives detonate. When she returns to the group, she tells them what had happened. She doesn't believe that Dylan actually wants to hurt anybody and Rev Bem begins to wonder if perhaps they are working for the wrong side. Trance agrees and is the first to recommend quitting the operation. Gerentex overhears their conversation and doesn't like the prospect of this planned mutiny. To demonstrate his displeasure, he withdraws an energy weapon and shoots Trance in the chest. Tyr and the others cover the group with their sidearms and Gerentex orders them to leave the room. Seamus is affected by Trance's death the most and wants revenge, but Rev Bem warns him that violence only begets violence. Tyr, Brexos and Glasten continue scouring the ship hunting for Dylan. Dylan steps out, and they open fire, but it is just a hologram. The real Dylan steps out from behind them and ambushes them. Careful to use non-lethal techniques so as to not cause any further needless deaths, he manages to take Brexos and Glasten down with his Force lance. Tyr proves to be a bigger challenge however and Dylan activates a small explosive, forcing Tyr to retreat before it detonates. Dylan takes the unconscious Brexos and places him inside an escape pod. Gerentex brings Harper back to the Eureka Maru where he wants him to hack into the Andromeda 's mainframe computer and take it over. What Gerentex doesn't know is that Harper plans on taking it over not for Gerentex's benefit, but for this own. He plugs a conduit into a receptacle implant in his neck and downloads his consciousness into the ship. What Harper soon comes to realize however is that Andromeda is more than just a standard starship - it is alive. The ship's avatar is a highly advanced artificial intelligence nicknamed Rommie. Rommie's image appears before Harper larger than life, and voices her displeasure at this intrusion. She tells him to "go home" and ejects him from her systems. Gerentex sends Tyr and Glasten out to blow up the ship's computer core with explosives so they can take control of it. Captain Hunt ambushes them once again and manages to take down Glasten. As with the other mercenaries, he places him inside of an escape pod. meets Rommie.]] On board the Maru, Harper tells Gerentex about Rommie and adds that rather than trying to take control of Andromeda - Andromeda is now taking control of the Maru. Gerentex orders him to seal off the airlocks and move the ship away, thus abandoning Beka and Rev, who are still on Andromeda. Gerentex takes the pilot seat and decides that if he cannot have the Andromeda - no one can. He swings the ship about and bumps it into the after quarter of the Andromeda. The nudge is enough to push the Andromeda towards the gravity well of the black hole. When the others on board realize what is happening, they decide to free Varastaya and Brexos to discuss their options. Tyr offers up the suggestion of putting themselvesi into stasis tubes, but Beka and Rev don't agree that this is a viable option. Varastaya and Brexos decide to take their chances in an escape pod. However, the small craft cannot possibly escape the gravitational pull of the singularity and they are shredded to pieces. Rommie gives Dylan an update on everything that is happening. He is disheartened to hear about more needless deaths - even those of the enemy. Some brightness emerges from the gloom however as Rommie reveals that the ship's medical technology was able to revive Trance Gemini. Dylan goes to the medical bay and finds Trance. He then locates Beka, Rev and Tyr and tells them that if they hope to survive their current situation, then they need to work together. Their plan involves deploying Nova bombs and targetting the black hole in the hopes that the massive energy might covert the celestial anomaly into a white hole. Dylan makes the group acting crew members so they can authorize the Nova bomb deployment. They fire forty missiles directly into the singularity. The plan works and the black hole converts into a miniature sun. It becomes increasingly unstable, but there is just enough time for both ships to enter slipstream and escape from the singularity. Harper vents some ion particles at the edge of the slipstream nexus so that Beka and the others will be able to track them. When Beka learns that Gerentex has stolen the Maru, she is furious. She asks Dylan to help her retrieve her ship. Hunt is shocked by the audacity of such a request, especially since he had to go to such great lengths to keep Beka and the others from stealing his ship. However, he agrees to help, but on the condition of a favor, which he will disclose at a later date. Beka is uncomfortable with this arrangement, but has no other option than to accept his proposal. The Andromeda tracks down the Maru and board the ship. Gerentex orders his men to kill them, but Tyr takes down Gerentex's Nightsider lieutenant while Rev Bem stuns a human mercenary with paralytic poison from his mouth. Gerentex tries to shoot Dylan, but finds to his dismay that Harper has removed the firing pin from his weapon. Dylan lays Gerentex out with one punch. Turning around, he calls in his favor. He asks Beka and the others to meet him on the bridge of the Andromeda in one hour to listen to a proposal. Aboard the Andromeda, Dylan tells them his idea. After briefly reviewing the historical records of this era, he believes it is his obligation to do what he can to restore the Systems Commonwealth. To do that however, he will need a crew. He tells them this could become the greatest adventure of all their lives. Seamus and Trance are intrigued, but will follow with whatever Beka decides. Rev Bem believes that this opportunity is a sign from the divine, while Tyr remains stoically silent. Beka ponders the notion, says "What the hell..." and agrees to become a part of the crew. Dylan entices Tyr's support by quoting the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Dylan and Beka shake hands and a new alliance is formed. Cast Principal Cast Guest Stars Notes & Trivia * Second in a two-part episode. * Production code number 104. * The events from this episode take place in the year CY 10087. * This is the first episode of Andromeda directed by Brenton Spencer. He next directs "To Loose the Fateful Lightning". * This is the second episode of Andromeda written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe. He previously wrote "Under the Night". His next episode is "Angel Dark, Demon Bright". * Includes a narrated recap of events from "Under the Night". * Final appearances for Varastaya, Brexos and Glasten. * Gaheris Rhade appears in the "Under the Night" recap only. * Gerentex appears next in "Fear and Loathing in the Milky Way". * Varastaya is revealed to be a cyborg in this episode. * For being a scientist, it seems odd that Seamus Harper has never heard of a white hole. * Seamus refers to Gerentex as "Rat-Face" and "Rat-Brains" in this episode. Beka refers to him as a "Rat-faced weasel". * This episode establishes that the currency of the region is known as a "throne". * First appearance of Nova bombs. Nova bombs are used again in "To Loose the Fateful Lightning". Allusions * Beka Valentine compares Seamus Harper's venting ion particles as "leaving a trail of breadcrumbs". This is a reference to the German fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel in which the titular characters leave a trail of breadcrumbs through the forrest so that they will be able to find their way back home. * Rev Bem quotes Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion: "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". * The Nietzscheans derive their name from Friedrich Nietzsche, a 19th century German philosopher and classical philologist. Nietzsche posited the existential belief in the Death of God and expounded his views on the rise of the Übermensch - the ultimate perfection of man. As beings who are genetically evolved to the point of total perfection, the Nietzscheans aspire to be living examples of Nietzche's beliefs. Opening quotation Quotes * Beka Valentine: Look, even if your plan works, and we don't get torn apart by the tides or fried by radiation, we'd be frozen in time like Hunt was. By the time we get out, hundreds of years may have passed. * Tyr Anasazi: I don't care if we wake up when the suns have all burned out and the universe is winding down to die, so long as I'm there to watch! .... * Seamus Harper: The ship! She's alive! And she is ticked off! .... * Seamus Harper: Mind if I ask you a question? * Rommie: No. * Seamus Harper: When Trance got shot, how did you fix her? * Rommie: I don't know. She didn't show any vital signs, so I brought her down here and monitored her, and then... she got better. * Seamus Harper: That's our Trance. * Rommie: She's done this kind of thing before? * Seamus Harper: The whole coming back from the dead thing? No, that's a new one. But, uh, let's just say it's not out of character. .... * Rommie: That should sterilize the protozoa. Apply this three times a day for a week and you'll recover. * Seamus Harper: Just out of curiosity, what would've happened if you hadn't treated this? Would it have, uh, left a scar? * Rommie: No. It would've eaten every inch of your skin away until it was gone. And then it would have started on your muscles, organs, eyes, and brain. You'd have lived about five more weeks, and then all that would've been left are bleached bones. * Seamus Harper: Three times a day for a week. * Rommie: Don't miss any spots. .... * Seamus Harper: OK, I say we kill 'em. * Rev Bem: Gerentex? * Seamus Harper: Who do you think? I can rig up an explosive using your shock wand. * Rev Bem: Violence begets violence. * Seamus Harper: Yeah, well, I say it's time we started begetting. * Beka Valentine: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold it. Even if we could take out Gerentex, and I have my doubts about that, what do we do about his posse? * Seamus Harper: Well, I was thinking a REALLY big bomb. * Rev Bem: Harper, I advise you. Consider carefully this path that you would choose. The place to which it leads is very dark. If you murder Tyr and the other mercenaries, you'll be no better than Gerentex. * Seamus Harper: Of course I will. He'll be dead. .... * Tyr Anasazi: You're working too slowly. The longer we stay in one place, the more likely we are to face a counter-attack. * Seamus Harper: Look, I appreciate paranoia, but if I don't get this right, we lose the entire ship. * Rev Bem: What my young friend is saying is give us some space. * Tyr Anasazi: Did I ask your opinion? * Rev Bem: The universe does not always provide what you ask for. The universe provides what you need. * Seamus Harper: Hey, if you guys are gonna kill each other, go ahead and be my guest, but don't get any blood on my gear, okay? * Tyr Anasazi: Don't test me, Magog. Home Video * "An Affirming Flame" has been made available on the following DVD collections: :* Andromeda: Slipstream Collection :* Andromeda: The Complete Boxset :* Andromeda: The Complete First Season :* Andromeda: Season 1 Collection :* Andromeda: Season 1, Collection 1 See also Keywords Android; Andromeda; Andromeda Ascendant; Artificial intelligence; Avatar; Battle of Hephaistos; Beka Valentine; Big Bang; Black hole; Brexos; Captain; Computer hacking; Cryogenic suspension; CY 10087; Cyborg; Dylan Hunt; Escape pod; Eureka Maru; Event horizon; Friedrich Nietzsche; FTL travel; Gaheris Rhade; Gerentex; Glasten; Gravitational singularity; Gynoid; Hephaistos; Hephaistos IV; Hephaistos black hole; Hephaistos System; High Guard; Hologram; Magog; Mercenary; Nietzschean Empire; Nietzscheans; Nightsider; Nova bomb; Rev Bem; Robot; Rommie; Seamus Harper; Slipstream; Spacecraft; Suspended animation; Trance Gemini; Triangulum Measles; Tyr Anasazi; Varastaya; Weapons Officer; White Hole External Links * * * * * * Category:2000/Episodes Category:October, 2000/Episodes Category:Episodes with plot summaries